William Marshal at the Tournament at Lagny-sur-Marne,
from the History of William the Marshall

William the Marshal was renowned as a tournament competitor and was able to make a good career from the money made from ransoms of those he captured in these mock battles, as well as from prize winnings. The following text details the tournament held at Lagny-sur-Marne, in 1179. Organized by Henry, count palatine of Champagne and Brie, this tournament was unusually large, with the writer of our history estimating that 3,000 knights attending. Many prominent people from France and England were on hand as well, including Henry Plantagenet, son of the English king Henry II, the count of Flanders, the duke of Burgundy, the brother of the King of Scotland and eighteen other counts:

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Engaging in feats of chivalry in
Lagny,

Oe chivalerie ensement

alongside the young King,

Le giemble rei a Leeingni

were those here named,

Furent cil que j'ai nomez ci,

eighty chosen knights.

Quatre vinz chevaliers esliz;

Not merely chosen, but the pick
of the chosen.

Non mie esliz mais tresesliz.

Why were they called the pick of
the chosen?

Por quei tresesliz nomez furent?

Because those well capable of
picking them out

Qu'entre les esliz les eslurent

had chosen them from amongst the
best.

Cil qui bien les sourent eslire;

That is the right gloss to put
on the text.

Issi deit l'om la letre lire.

But eighty is still an
under-estimate,

Quatre vinz, c'est ore del
mains,

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and I shall undertake to prove
to you

Quer a prover vos prenc en mains

that there were yet seven times
as many such after them:

Qu'il en remaint set tanz
ariere,

whoever raised his banner

Quer qui unques portout baniere

in the company of the young
King,

E ert ove le giemble rei,

whoever was under his command,
received twenty shillings a

A toz cels qu'il menout o sei,

day for each man he had with him

Aveient vinten sous lo jor,

from the moment they left their
own lands,

Fust a esrer, fust a sejor,

whether they were on the move or
in lodgings.

Des que il moveient de lor
terre.

It was a source of wonder where
this wealth was to be found,

Merveille ert ou l'em puet ce
querre,

and one can only say that God
shared out to him

Ne mais que Dex li devisout

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the wealth placed at his
disposal.

Les biens qu'il li abandonout.

There were fifteen flying their
banners,

Quinze i out banieres portant;

and so I can swear to you

Por ce vos plevis en por tant

that there were at least two
hundred and more,

Que bien erent deux cenz e plus,

as you have already heard,

Si com avez oï desus,

who lived off the purse of the
young King

Qui del giemble rei se vivoient

and were knights of his.

E qui si chevalier estoient.

There is no account of all
these,

De toz cels n'est gaires de
conte,

for there were at least nineteen
counts

Quer bien furent dis e noef
conte

with the King on that occasion,

O le rei en cele besoingne,

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and the duke of Burgundy
besides.

Si i fu li dus de Borgoingne.

Why should I spin out my tale?

Que vos ireie ge contant?

The knights who were there to
tourney

A plus de trei mile ou a tant

were estimated

Furent esmé li chivalier

at more than three thousand or
so,

Qui la furent por torneier,

some with the King, some with
the count.

Que devers rei, que devers
conte.

I shall not spin out my tale
further:

Ne vos ferai ci plus lonc conte:

they armed, joined in combat,

Armez furent, si s'entrevindrent

and did what they had come to
do.

E firent ce por quei il
vindrent.

There were to be seen banners
unfurled,

La vit l'em despleier banieres

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so many of them and of such
diverse types

Tantes e de tantes manieres

that no man could make them out
sufficiently

Que nuls ne seüst diviser

to be able to describe them in
detail.

Tant qu'il les seüst deviser;

The entire field of combat was
swarming with them,

Tote en formiout la campaingne,

the plain so full of them

Si esteit emplie la plaingne

that there was not an inch of
ground to be seen.

Que de plaingne n'i aveit
point.

One company spurred to meet the
other.

Li uns conreis vers l'autre
point.

I can tell you that that
encounter

Or saciez que cele asemblee

was not a stealthy affair,

Ne fu mie faite a emblee,

indeed, there was great noise
and tumult

Ainz grant noise e grant bruit;

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as all strove to deal mighty
blows.

Al bien ferir tendeient tuit.

There you would have heard such
a great clash

La oïsiez si grant escrois

of lances, from which the
splinters

De lances, de quei li retrois

fell to the ground as the
companies met

Qui chaeient a terre al joindre

and impeded the forward charge
of the horses.

Ne lassoient les chevals
poindre.

The throng across that plain was
huge,

Molt fu grant la presse en la
plaingne,

with each company shouting out
its battle cry.

Chascuns conreis crie s'ensenne;

There you might have learned
something of armed combat,

La peüst l'om d'armes aprendre,

there you might have seen
knights taken

La veïst l'om chevalers prendre

by the bridles of their horses,
and others being rescued.

As freins e les autres rescorre.

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On all sides you would have seen
horses running

De totes parz veïst l'om core

and sweating with their
exertions.

Chevals a tressuer d'angoisse;

Every man strove hard and did
all within his power

Chascuns a son poeir s'angoisse

to perform high deeds, for it is
in such a situation

De bien faire, quer en tele ovre

that prowess is shown and
displayed for all to see.

Se mostre proëce e descouvre.

It was a very fiercely fought
contest,

Molt i out aresté estor,

many were the feats of arms
performed that day;

Molt i out fait d'armes le jor,

the tournament was an
exceedingly fine one,

Molt fu li torneiemenz buens

even before the King and the
count

Anceis que li reis ne li quens

had arrived to join in combat.

I venissent por asembler.

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But
when they did, then you would have seen the earth shake,

Lors veïssiez terre trembler

e King said: "This has gone
on long enough;

Quant li reis dist: "Ore
est ennui;

spur on, I shall have not a
moment's further delay."

Poinniez! n'i
atendrai mais hui."

The King spurred forward, but
the count cleverly

Li reis poinst, mais li quens se
tint

held back, and did not move
forward

Par cointise, que pas ne vint

until he saw that the time was
exactly right.

De si qu'il en vit ore e point,

But when it was, he did not
hesitate for a moment.

Mais lors ne se targa il point.

Those on the King's side rode
forward

Cil qui par devers li rei furent

so impetuously

Si sorcuideement s'esmurent

that they did not wait a moment
for the King,

Qu'onques le rei n'i atendirent,

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and they fought so fiercely

E si oltreement le firent

that the other side were sent on
their way.

Que cil se mistrent a la veie:

Actually, not so much on their
way as off their way.

Ne fu pas veie, einz fu desveie.

Once they had driven them back

Quant il les ourent
adossez

through the vines and the
ditches,

Parmi vingnes, parmi fossez,

off they rode between the
closely planted

Si aloient parmi les ches

vine stocks.

Des vingnes, qui erent espés;

Horses fell down there thick and
fast,

La chaeient chevals souvent,

and the men who fell with them

Si erent defolez vilment

were badly trampled and injured,

Cil qui chaeient e laidi

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damaged and disfigured.

E empeirié e enlaidi.

Count Geoffrey and his company

Li quens Geifreis o sa baniere

rode on with such incredible
speed that,

Poingneit si d'estrange maniere,

when the King arrived, all those
who should have been
with

Quant li reis vint,
qu'esloingnié furent

him were in the far distance,

Tuit cil qui o lui estre durent,

so that on his arrival

Si que li reis en son venir

he was nowhere able to reach

Ne pout en nul liu avenir

his opponents, for off they went

A lor genz, quer il s'en aloent,

with the others in hot pursuit.

E cil durement les tesoent.

Some were intent on performing
well in combat,

Li un al bien faire tendoient,

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others were bent on booty,

Li autre al gaaing entendoient,

and the King was greatly
disturbed

Si que li reis fu angoissous

by the fact that he had been
left completely on his own.

De ce qu'il fu remés si sous.

He saw a company belonging to
the other side

Une bataille vit sor destre

on his right, consisting of some

De lor gent, s'i poeient estre

forty knights at least.

Quarante chevaliers al mains.

With his lance in hand,

Une lance tint en ses mains;

he galloped to engage them in
combat,

Il lor corut sore a l'encontre;

and the clash was so ferocious

Si tresdurement les acontre

that his lance was shattered as
easily

Qu'altresi peceia en eirre

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as if it had been made of glass.

Sa lance cum s'el fust de
veirre;

And those on the other side, who
were very

E cil de la, qui grant gent
erent,

ous, soon took him by the bridle
and brought him to a halt.

Par le frein tantost
l'aresterent.

They had come up from all sides,

De tutes parz furent venu;

but the situation with the King
was that,

E a lui fu si avenu

out of his entire company,

Qu'il n'i out de tote sa gent

all he had with him were

Ensemble o lui fors solement

the Marshal, who was following
closely

Le Mareschal, qui le suieit

behind him, for it was his wont

De pres, quer costumiers esteit

to be at his side in a difficult
situation

D'estre pres de lui a besoing,

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and never be far away from him,

Quer il ne s'en teneit pas long.

and William de Préaux,

E Willaumes, cil de
Preials,

who, that day, had just been
taken prisoner

Qui le jor ert prisons novels,

and had left the throng,

E s'ert departi de la flote

and, in great secrecy, had
donned

E out vestu de soz sa cote

a hauberk under his tunic,

Un haubert molt priveement,

and, apart from this, nothing
more

E chapel de fer ensement

than an iron cap on his head.

Olt al chef, sanz plus e sanz
mains.

The others had the King within
their grasp;

E il tindrent entre lor mains

each of them strove might and
main

Li reis; chascuns d'els mist sa
force

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to knock off his helmet by
force.

D'abatre li son helme a force.

The Marshal rode forward,

Li Mareschals tant s'avansa

then launched himself into their
midst;

Que tresdevant els se lansa;

he dealt so many blows in front
and behind him,

Tant feri avant e ariere,

showed them so much the stuff he
was made of,

Tant lor acointa sa maniere

pushed and pulled to such an
extent

E tant bota e tant sacha

that he forced the harness

Que a force al rei esracha

off the head of the King's
horse,

La testiere de son cheval,

together with the bridle, and
pulled it to the ground.

O tot le frein, e traist aval;

And William de Préaux took

E Willeaume de Preials prist

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the horse by the neck and put
every effort

Le cheval par le col e mist

into escaping the fray,

Grant peine a esir de l'estor,

for those who were intent on
capturing him

Quer molt li aloient entor

had hemmed him in.

Cil quil voleient retenir.

They tried hard to strike
William

Molt se penoent de ferir

as often as they could,

Willeaume de Preals souvent;

but the King protected him
skilfully

Li reis le couvreit sagement

with his shield, so that they
did not touch him

A son escu, qu'il n'ateingneient

or do him injury.

A lui ne mal ne li faiseient,

However, the force of their
assault had been such

Mais tant se furent esforcié

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that they had torn the King's
helmet

Qu'il ourent al rei esracié

from his head,

Son healme a force de son chef;

and that was a source of great
annoyance to him.

Molt li pesa e li fu grief.

The tussle lasted for a long
time,

Li tooilz dura longement,

but the Marshal hounded them,

Mais molt le faiseit durement

fighting them with great
ferocity

Li Mareschals quis herdoiout,

and meting out powerful blows.

De granz coups i empleiout.

The count of Flanders was filled
with joy

Li cuens de Flandres s'esjoï

when he heard the battle-cry
raised by the King,

De la baniere qu'il oï

there in the midst of that fray

Al rei qui esteit en
l'estor,

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where he had been for some time.

E out esté piece de jor.

There was no question now of
holding back:

D'arester fu pus nule chose,

now he rode hard to cut them
off,

Einz lor corut a la forclose

and, reaching them, overwhelmed
them.

Sis desconfist en sun venir,

The men who had
tourneyed there

Que cil ne se porent tenir

and were by now suffering from
fatigue,

Qui le ici torneié avoient

could not withstand the
onslaught.

E qui trop travaillé esteient;

[They fled] and were given
chase,

Si fu la chace maintenue

and every horse was given its
head.

Que puis n'i out regne tenue.

Count Geoffrey was greatly
grieved by this

Molt pesa al conte Guiffrei

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and very much dismayed.

E molt en fu en grant effrei;

Often he turned round to face
his opponents,

Souventes feiz lor trestorneit,

but nobody in his company turned
to do the same,

Mais ove lui ne retorneit

so there was no possibility of
his standing his ground.

Nus; por ce n'i poeit remaindre.

But when he was in a position to
strike them,

Quant il poeit a els ateindre,

they found the games he played
were wicked ones,

Molt troveuent ses gieus
porvers,

and often he left them face up
on the ground.

Souvent en i laissout d'envers.

But, before the rout occurred,

Mais devant la desconfiture

there was another incident

I avint une autre aventure

which should have been recounted
earlier;

Qui deüst estre devant dite;

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as I find it in my written
source,

Mais si cum ge la truis escrite

so should I relate it word for
word.

La m'estuet dire mot a mot.

It is not possible to resume in
a sentence

L'en ne puet pas tot a un mot

the whole course of a
tournament,

Conter tot le conveiement

or the blows dealt there.

Ne les coups d'un torneiement.

Anyway, at the point where the
King was thus making off,

Quant li reis s'en alout issi,

Sir Herluin de Vancy,

Missire Herlins de Vanci,

who was the seneschal of
Flanders,

Seneschal de Flandres esteit,

had at least thirty knights with
him,

Bien trente chevaliers aveit

outside the press of battle.

Ovoques lui ors de la presse.

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One of his knights galloped up

Uns siens chevaliers s'eslece,

to inform his lord, Herluin.

A seignor Herlin le vait dire.

"My lord," he said,
"in God's name,

"Enom
Deu!" fait il, "beal doz sire,

look over there, the King is on
the point of being captured.

Veez la le rei pres de pris,

You take him and get the praise
for it;

Pernez le, sin avrez le pris,

he's already lost his helmet

Qu'il a ja son hialme perdu,

and is much distraught by
that."

Dont molt se tient a
esperdu."

When sir Herluin heard this,

Quant misires Herlins
l'oï,

his heart was filled with joy,

Molt durement s'en esjoï

and he said: "He's ours, I
think."

E dist: "Cist est nostre,
ce cuit."

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They all spurred on at a fast
gallop

Des esperons ferirent tuit

in pursuit of the King.

Aprés le rei grant aleüre.

The Marshal was not idle,

Li Mareschals ne s'aseüre,

instead he rode to meet them
with lance in hand.

Ainz muet d'une lance a
encontre;

They clashed so violently

Si tresdurement les encontre

that his lance was completely
shattered ....

Que sa lance tote depiece ....

as far as his horse's hocks,

Dusque as jarrez de son chival,

but I can assure you that he was
soon upright again.

Mais tost fu redreciez sanz
faille.

The fight homed in around him;

Sor lui comence la bataille;

they attacked him, and he
defended.

Cil l'asaillent, il se defent,

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Everything he struck was broken
and split,

Quantqu'il ateint depiece e
fent,

shields were hacked to pieces,
helmets staved in.

Decoupe escuz, enbarre hielmes.

My lord William the Marshal
performed so many feats

Tant fist li Marescal Willelmes

that nobody present had the
slightest idea

Unques nul de cels qui la vint

what had become of the King.

Ne seurent qui li reis devint.

Afterwards, the King, those who
witnessed the event,

Puis dist li reis e cil quil
virent

and those who heard speak of it,

E cil qui parler en oïrent

said that never before had finer
blows been witnessed

Qu'ains plus beau coups ne fu
veüz

from a single knight, or known
of,

D'un sol chevalier ne seüz

as those dealt by the Marshal
that day.

Que li Mareschals fist le jor;

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The bravest amongst them gave
him high praise for this.

Molt l'en loerent li meillor.

This text was translated by Stewart Gregory, with the assistance of David Crouch. We thank Ian Short of the Anglo-Norman Text Society and David Crouch for their permission and assistance in republishing this section.